Google leads corporate blockchain investment race

[vEmpire.dDAO]

 
Google may be the biggest tech giant in the world, but when it comes to blockchain and cryptocurrency, they're not afraid to open up their wallets and show some serious love.

According to a new report from Blockdata, Alphabet (Google's parent company) poured a whopping $1.5 billion into the blockchain industry between September 2021 and June 2022. That's more than any other public company during that time period.

So what does Google see in blockchain that has them throwing all that money around? Maybe they're finally ready to take crypto seriously? Or maybe they're just trying to stay ahead of the curve and be on the cutting edge of this new technology? This is a serious commitment to the space, and it's good to see that Google is finally taking blockchain technology seriously. With their deep pockets and expansive reach, they could really help take the industry to the next level.

The corporate world's sudden interest in blockchain technology is quite amusing. It's like they've just discovered fire. Or the internet. Among the top 40 companies, a total of $6 billion has been invested into blockchain technology in the past year. This is compared to a measly $1.9 billion between Jan 2021 and Sep 2021, and $506 million in 2020. The companies like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley are leading the charge, with investments totaling $1.17 billion and $1.11 billion respectively. Even Samsung, an electronics company, has invested $979.2 million. It's good to see that these companies are finally catching up to the times and investing in something that is clearly the future. But it does make you wonder what took them so long.

Hope this was helpful to some of yall! 

[1715289055]

1715289055

[mk4]

While $1.5b is definitely a huge amount, take note that $1.5b is just a very small percentage of Alphabet's total assets/investments. Though I'm not ruling out the fact that they might be into crypto, them investing $1.5b doesn't automatically mean that Alphabet is "ready to take crypto seriously" or something like that.

There's a good possibility that Alphabet is just playing it smart and allocating a small percentage(basically hedging) into crypto-related companies, just as a sort of insurance for if crypto actually becomes far bigger from here and not just a temporary fad.

[stompix]

So what does Google see in blockchain that has them throwing all that money around? Maybe they're finally ready to take crypto seriously?

Blockchain doesn't automatically mean crypto, it can mean tracking it can mean voting, it can be used in logistics and many other things, it's basically a database and databases have been used for decades for almost every single purpose known to man. So the pouring millions into a blockchain project might just be for an extra research for their enormous database usage and their scalability or their payment systems without giving up fiat at all.

There's a good possibility that Alphabet is just playing it smart and allocating a small percentage(basically hedging) into crypto-related companies, just as a sort of insurance for if crypto actually becomes far bigger from here and not just a temporary fad.

It has become nearly a standard where large multi-billion companies are throwing money at hundreds of projects that show a bit of promise, it's the only way right now to keep up with every trend in the world as your own company can't go on a developer hiring spree to cover every niche, so you just invest in each and hope you nailed it as of course, not every bet will bring a profit, and some will fail miserably.

Here is an example of what large companies are on the hunt for:
https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/google-invested-a-whopping-15b-into-blockchain-companies-since-september-202208170111
 

[kryptqnick]

It seems they're investing in blockchain companies, which is a very different thing from, say, purchasing Bitcoin. And it makes the $1.5 billion an even smaller sum because it gets diversified. It might be investments into development (or operations), in which case Google might believe there's good potential there. But it can also just be buying some shares in case they go up. Also, from the article stompix referenced, the projects are clearly not all crypto-related, some are about other blockchain use cases (Dapper Labs is blockchain video games, for instance).

[DrBeer]

Google may be the biggest tech giant in the world, but when it comes to blockchain and cryptocurrency, they're not afraid to open up their wallets and show some serious love.

According to a new report from Blockdata, Alphabet (Google's parent company) poured a whopping $1.5 billion into the blockchain industry between September 2021 and June 2022. That's more than any other public company during that time period.

So what does Google see in blockchain that has them throwing all that money around? Maybe they're finally ready to take crypto seriously? Or maybe they're just trying to stay ahead of the curve and be on the cutting edge of this new technology? This is a serious commitment to the space, and it's good to see that Google is finally taking blockchain technology seriously. With their deep pockets and expansive reach, they could really help take the industry to the next level.

The corporate world's sudden interest in blockchain technology is quite amusing. It's like they've just discovered fire. Or the internet. Among the top 40 companies, a total of $6 billion has been invested into blockchain technology in the past year. This is compared to a measly $1.9 billion between Jan 2021 and Sep 2021, and $506 million in 2020. The companies like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley are leading the charge, with investments totaling $1.17 billion and $1.11 billion respectively. Even Samsung, an electronics company, has invested $979.2 million. It's good to see that these companies are finally catching up to the times and investing in something that is clearly the future. But it does make you wonder what took them so long.

Hope this was helpful to some of yall! 

What surprises you? Google is purely a technology company. In addition, they strive to be "pioneers" everywhere and in everything, in order to stand at the origins of technology, in order to remove "the thickest layer of profit." They invest huge sums in their own, even pilot projects - they can afford it. Moreover, not all of them "take off", beat, have and will have failed projects, but negative experience is also experience. Well, 1.5 billion dollars is not a lot of money for them, but the experience and experience gained in this area, they will sell much more expensive

[TheNineClub]

Blockchain is still function on the basis of 'throw everything towards it and see what sticks', so it's not a surprise that tech companies are diverting some money that way to see if they could be the first at the next big thing. An if anyone can throw money around, it's foogle and their parent company.

[jossiel]

They're a tech company and they know what shall be supported and not in terms of the upcoming technology trend.

Well, no doubt that with this investment that they have, they're supporting the upcoming trend and more, they won't be left behind.

This is just a small move that they've got an,d what if the next thing they'll do is to acquire most of the successful blockchain projects (not tokens)?

[tippytoes]

They're a tech company and they know what shall be supported and not in terms of the upcoming technology trend.

Well, no doubt that with this investment that they have, they're supporting the upcoming trend and more, they won't be left behind.

This is just a small move that they've got an,d what if the next thing they'll do is to acquire most of the successful blockchain projects (not tokens)?

They are one of the giants company so they have their resources on how to assess the market. I am certain, they did their research on this market, and they see good possibilities, hence, investing in this technology. They are not dumb not to invest if they see good potential of this market in the coming years. If they invest good amount, it means they believe on this market.

[mk4]

It has become nearly a standard where large multi-billion companies are throwing money at hundreds of projects that show a bit of promise, it's the only way right now to keep up with every trend in the world as your own company can't go on a developer hiring spree to cover every niche, so you just invest in each and hope you nailed it as of course, not every bet will bring a profit, and some will fail miserably.

Here is an example of what large companies are on the hunt for:
https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/google-invested-a-whopping-15b-into-blockchain-companies-since-september-202208170111

Precisely, it's really just them hedging possibilities. The same reason how some companies tend to invest in their competitors; just so they end up getting some competitor equity when it's the case that their competitor totally kills their business.

[Zilon]

Blockchain != Cryptocurrency. Crypto is just a fraction of the blockchain space. Google is obviously interested in investing in the next generation of the internet which is the web 3. In the regular web 2 you sell out everything about you just to have access to the web and you don't own any data you give out. But with web 3 you own your data and you are obviously reading and writing to the web with full assurance you own your data.

[hatshepsut93]

If I was a bit less moral person, I would just start a blockchain company with a goal of selling out to some suckers. It's crazy that blockchain still attracts billions of dollars in investments even as it's clear that no one seriously uses it. People have such a strong fear of missing out on the next big thing, that they would rather lose their on junk investments.

[nira09]

Google may be the biggest tech giant in the world, but when it comes to blockchain and cryptocurrency, they're not afraid to open up their wallets and show some serious love.

According to a new report from Blockdata, Alphabet (Google's parent company) poured a whopping $1.5 billion into the blockchain industry between September 2021 and June 2022. That's more than any other public company during that time period.

So what does Google see in blockchain that has them throwing all that money around? Maybe they're finally ready to take crypto seriously? Or maybe they're just trying to stay ahead of the curve and be on the cutting edge of this new technology? This is a serious commitment to the space, and it's good to see that Google is finally taking blockchain technology seriously. With their deep pockets and expansive reach, they could really help take the industry to the next level.

The corporate world's sudden interest in blockchain technology is quite amusing. It's like they've just discovered fire. Or the internet. Among the top 40 companies, a total of $6 billion has been invested into blockchain technology in the past year. This is compared to a measly $1.9 billion between Jan 2021 and Sep 2021, and $506 million in 2020. The companies like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley are leading the charge, with investments totaling $1.17 billion and $1.11 billion respectively. Even Samsung, an electronics company, has invested $979.2 million. It's good to see that these companies are finally catching up to the times and investing in something that is clearly the future. But it does make you wonder what took them so long.

Hope this was helpful to some of yall! 

Yeah right, yesterday I also saw the CEO of Binance, CZ say that "They are silently in crypto already". And here are detailed data on several large companies that are actively investing in Blockchain shared by CZ.


* https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1559642866787426314

[mk4]

If I was a bit less moral person, I would just start a blockchain company with a goal of selling out to some suckers. It's crazy that blockchain still attracts billions of dollars in investments even as it's clear that no one seriously uses it. People have such a strong fear of missing out on the next big thing, that they would rather lose their on junk investments.

To be fair, these investments are mostly in equity of crypto-related companies(infra, data analytics, exchanges, security firms, etc), not necessarily coins and tokens.

And yea, I'm pretty sure these companies are far less speculative, as they're surely printing money.

[Tony116]

They are the leading technology companies in the world and blockchain is the technology of the future so it is not surprising that technology companies are interested in blockchain. Although blockchain is more known and popular thanks to the development of cryptocurrency, blockchain is almost associated with cryptocurrency, but if cryptocurrency fails then blockchain technology will still be kept and continued development.

[jossiel]

They're a tech company and they know what shall be supported and not in terms of the upcoming technology trend.

Well, no doubt that with this investment that they have, they're supporting the upcoming trend and more, they won't be left behind.

This is just a small move that they've got an,d what if the next thing they'll do is to acquire most of the successful blockchain projects (not tokens)?

They are one of the giants company so they have their resources on how to assess the market. I am certain, they did their research on this market, and they see good possibilities, hence, investing in this technology. They are not dumb not to invest if they see good potential of this market in the coming years. If they invest good amount, it means they believe on this market.

Well, they won't just throw money to useless projects.

And before they invest, they're doing a board meeting before releasing the funds. A typical company that needs to have many confirmation from the board and higher positions in the company before approving something that is proposed.

The amount they've invest on blockchain projects aren't that big for them as it's like testing in the waters.

[Hydrogen]

It is known that google's ad revenue is declining. This negative trend began in 2020.

Google’s ad revenue falls 8% for 1st decline in 26-year history

July 31, 2020

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/google-ad-revenue-falls-1st-decline-in-26-year-history/582661/

Google's declining revenue is blamed on the COVID pandemic.

However there is another angle present. The quality of google search results has significantly declined. To a point where many no longer use google but prefer instead to use other search engines which provide better search results.

With google's main business and source of income no longer being viable. It makes sense for them to search out other sources of revenue. Blockchain is a ripe area for growth.

Of course there is always the possibility google could combine their indexing and search technology with blockchain. To create something new. There have been several proposals along these lines for many years. Ranging from blockchain based voting systems to blockchain based ledgers.

[jostorres]

They are the leading technology companies in the world and blockchain is the technology of the future so it is not surprising that technology companies are interested in blockchain. Although blockchain is more known and popular thanks to the development of cryptocurrency, blockchain is almost associated with cryptocurrency, but if cryptocurrency fails then blockchain technology will still be kept and continued development.

Blockchain technology is more popular compared to what? The companies like google? No it isn't because before blockchain was invented, google is already there. Blockchain technology is still new and there are still people that didn't heard of it but it is true that crypto help the blockchain to become more known.

Bitcoin is the first crypto to use the technology and it was a success. It is then followed up by altcoins and others. I think there are projects who are based on blockchain but it's not necessarily tied up with cryptos although it would be a good combo if that blockchain project will also use a crypto. It will become more successful.

[Kakmakr]

I think the important differentiation that must be made here for the sake of clarity, is this ==> There is Bitcoin built on top of the Blockchain and then there are Blockchain technology.

So, Google and these other companies are not investing in Bitcoin, but rather in the underlying technology, which is called "The Blockchain"

This is direct competition for Bitcoin, because it is an investment in Alt coin development, which has nothing to do with Bitcoin. I hope people can see this difference, because it is very important to understand this.